Heaterz Chicken Plans Riverfront Move to Alton’s Flock Food Truck Park in Spring 2027
ALTON - Heaterz Hot Chicken, a local favorite restaurant, will relocate to the current Flock Food Truck Park property in spring 2027, bringing a new vision to the riverfront.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Owner Dan King recently announced that Heaterz will move from its current spot to the new flagship location in downtown Alton, called Heaterz at the Riverfront. In addition to a permanent kitchen, Heaterz at the Riverfront will include artificial turf, a playground, drive-thru and jumbo televisions. King jokes that customers will be able to “see it from space.”
“The first thing you’re going to see is a lot of color, a lot of loudness. Our brand is bold. We are loud. We are proud. You’re going to see bright colors all over,” he said. “You’re going to see a family-friendly place where people are having a great time. We can also book events. All of that going on, and then of course we’ll also be serving the greatest chicken in all the land all the time.”
King started Heaterz in 2021. He previously worked as a nurse but always wanted to try entrepreneurship. He was grappling with the role of the restaurant following the COVID-19 pandemic when, with a few of his friends, King came up with a Nashville hot chicken recipe that quickly became very popular.
In the past five years, Heaterz has grown into an Alton landmark. The team also recently broke ground at 316 E. Ferguson in Wood River for another location, and King and his partner opened Roasterz, a coffee shop, next door. The Wood River Heaterz location should be open in January 2027.
King also opened a Heaterz location at The Old Base Factory in O’Fallon last month. He is now focused on preparing for the Heaterz at the Riverfront opening in spring 2027.
Though the Heaterz brand has expanded a lot in recent years, the main focus of their work — hot chicken — remains the same.
“We think our greatest marketing is simply our food,” King said. “If we can get you to try our food, we think we have a customer for life.”
He added that he always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and he has found this new role to be fulfilling. He argued that it takes a lot of “blood, sweat and tears” to see the “fruits of your labor,” but it’s worth it when you know you’re doing something positive for the community.
“The entrepreneurship, once you get that bug and you scratch the itch, then you start actually seeing the impact,” he said. “You’re creating jobs. You’re creating impact. You’re doing good things for humans. It's just motivating and it makes you want to kick it to the next gear. We’re just starting.”
This urge to help is a result of King’s years in healthcare. He believes healthcare and hospitality have that in common: “Being a good human” means a lot in both industries.
King hopes he can continue to give back and help others while also building up the Heaterz brand. As he prepares to transform Flock Food Truck Park into Heaterz at the Riverfront, he can’t wait to see how the restaurant continues to impact people.
“The economics is the byproduct of doing the right thing. You take care of people. You give them a quality product. You’re good to your team. You set the culture,” he explained. “That's what it takes. Finances are just a byproduct of doing the right thing. That’s our model. That's what we're trying to do, and helping the community is the biggest thing we can do. We love that.”
For more information about Heaterz, visit their official website.
More like this:
